A very sentimental bloke

I wanted to post this here on my birthday (2 May), but life, as it should, got in the way. Anyway, it's so cheery that today's the right time for it.

    For those who don't know the work of C J Dennis, he was a poetic genius of the urban life of 1930s Australia. You probably need to understand some Australian idiom of early twentieth century Australia to appreciate it fully, but his works are available online.

   I don't know if they appeal today, but I hope they do.

To our very dear Den,

Our warmest wishes for a good day for your 64th today.

Have been enjoying The Sentimental Bloke lately, loving the humour and wisdom there, and the inimitable way it is expressed, and thought I'd just stick a couple of verses in here that bring a smile.

Yeh live, yeh love, yeh learn; an' when yeh come

To square the ledger in some thortful hour,

The everlastin' answer to the sum

Must alwus be, "Where's the sense in gittin' sour?"

Fer when yeh've come to weigh the good an' bad -

The gladness wiv' the sadness you 'ave 'ad -

Then 'im 'oo's faith in 'uman goodness fails

Fergits to put 'is liver in the scales.

Livin' and lovin'; learnin' day be day;

Pausin' a minute in the barmy strife

To find that 'elpin others on the way

Is gold coined for your profit - sich is life.

I think you've done a lot of 'elpin along the way, Den, and there's all the love from friends and family to share the day today. Have a special one!

Love from Lyn and Terry, and all the clan.

Thanks, Lyn!

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